A good, long time spent at the ‘Fair’

VAN NOVACK

“Vanity Fair,” when it was written by William Makepeace Thackeray in

the mid-19th century, was considered a savage critique of English

society and the plight of women, particularly women from the lower

classes.

Since admission to the upper crust required noble lineage or

sizable assets, a poor woman’s only hope was to marry into such

circumstances. However, to do so required getting past the vigilant

gatekeepers of high society, which often included women not born to

their current high stations.

Ideally equipped to accomplish such a feat is Rebecca (Becky)

Sharp, played by Reese Witherspoon. The daughter of an alcoholic

painter and a Parisian opera girl, Becky has parlayed her ability to

speak French into a stint as a boarder and tutor at an English

finishing school. Becky decides to leave the school to take a job as

a governess for a minor country noble. Taking a week to herself

before this assignment, Becky travels with her school friend Amelia

Sedley to the latter’s family home.

Having neither title nor fortune, Becky is determined to find a

husband with both. Becky initially sets her sights on Amelia’s

brother Joseph (Tony Maudsley), a fawning corpulent fellow who will

likely become quite rich tending to the family’s interests in India.

Unfortunately Amelia’s own fiance, George, convinces Joseph that he

will be barred from high society if he makes such an inappropriate

match.

Somewhat dejected, Becky heads off to work for Sir Pitt Crawley

(Bob Hoskins), the rumpled lord of the manor who she first mistakes

for a servant. Crawley Hall is practically in ruins when Becky

arrives and the family is decidedly down-at-the-heels.

There seem to be no prospects at all, but Becky soon meets Sir

Pitt’s wealthy spinster sister Matilde. Completely smitten with the

girl, Matilde takes her back to London to her luxurious home in

Mayfair, where she lives with her favorite nephew Rawley. As Rawley

is Sir Pitt’s second son, he cannot inherit the title or the family

estate. Becky secretly marries Rawley, a military officer and an

inveterate gambler who cannot survive on his allowance. Thus Becky

has gained entree to good family, but not the riches she desires.

Set in England and Europe during one of Britain’s golden ages,

“Vanity Fair” offers a glimpse into a vanished social order set among

much pomp and circumstance. The locations, costumes, and sets are all

appropriately lavish for the period, and “Vanity Fair” has the

burnished look of a fine oil painting.

The acting is generally superb, especially Eileen Atkins’ wickedly

humorous portrayal of the spinster aunt. Gabrielle Byrne plays

Becky’s manipulative benefactor Lord Steyn as an interested but

detached observer of London’s elite social scene. The various members

of Steyn’s household all fall victim to his brutally honest

assessments of their contribution (or lack thereof) to the family’s

social standing or financial fortunes. Having taken advantage of the

trade-offs women must make to advance their social standing; Steyn

nonetheless loathes them for their passive complicity.

Some might see a bit of Elle Woods, from “Legally Blonde,” in

Witherspoon’s portrayal of Becky Sharp. In some ways, the two

characters are alike, although Becky never seems to be mistaken for

unintelligent. Both characters use their feminine wiles to get ahead

in life out of necessity. Witherspoon gives a layered performance as

her character is often in conflict -- alternately ruled by her head

and her heart.

“Vanity Fair” covers a lot of ground and requires 137 minutes to

do it. There are a myriad of complex characters well fleshed-out,

numerous locations exploited, and even the aftermath of the battle of

Waterloo portrayed. It’s quite a bit to follow at times, but for

those who love adaptations of great literature or period pieces,

“Vanity Fair” is time well spent.

* VAN NOVACK, 50, is the director of institutional research at Cal

State Long Beach and lives in Huntington Beach with his wife

Elizabeth.

Mac is a hit with “Mr. 3000”

Sport stars come in two sizes: little ego or big. They are either

team players or players on a team.

Baseball star Stan Ross has a large ego. It has been upgraded,

however, from big to super size. From Stan’s perspective, it is not

how you play the game, but whether you win or loose. Stan chooses to

be a winner, and how he gets there comes at the expense of his team,

the Brewers, and the fans.

Along the way to getting 3,000 hits, Stan has lost sight of what

it means to be a sports hero. Stan thinks being a winner is all about

having the most: the most hits, the most money and the most one-night

stands. For Stan, winning is taking without giving back.

For example, instead of thanking the Brewers for helping him reach

his goal when he gets his 3,000th hit, he quits that night, even

though the team is in the middle of playoffs and needs him to win. He

gladly signs autographs for the fans, if they come spend money in his

mini-mall where every business has the name “Mr. 3000” in it, such as

“Mr. 3000 Cuts” and “Mr. 3000 Beers.”

Bernie Mac (“The Bernie Mac Show,” “Ocean’s 11”) hits it out of

the ballpark playing Ross the Boss, a man without a clue as to why he

repels people. He has a habit of turning his good news into bad news

for everyone else. The character of Stan Ross is not too far off the

mark from Bernie Mac’s television character, but it takes a skill to

transfer over to another medium, from a small television screen to a

large theater and he pulls it off.

Bernie Mac walks a fine line as Stan, who isn’t an entirely rude

and greedy person. Stan may screw everyone over, but never himself.

And when he faces an unexpected setback, at least Stan takes a stand

and fights for what he wants. And now, nine years after he retires,

Stan Ross is faced with a dilemma, either return to the Brewers or

lose his title of “Mr. 3000.”

With the sudden turn of events, the sports comedy comes alive for

several reasons. Stan’s return to baseball puts him in a

fish-out-of-water predicament with how the game is played today,

compared to how it was nine years ago. Stan can handle doing push-ups

to get in shape, but can’t quit get the hang of doing Pilates and

other extensive workouts. The locker room is larger, louder and

jammed with players representing every country on the planet. And

they are young. Much younger than Stan and they never let him forget

it.

Another fun element is the effective use of sports reporters and

commentators to move the story along. The media is both Stan’s friend

and worst enemy. Although the reporters give the audience a glimpse

of how it feels it to be on the receiving end of negative press, it’s

dished out with lots of humor, led by Tom Arnold in a cameo

appearance.

“Mr. 3000” also packs a lot of life lessons into the story as the

plot unfolds. Stan Ross may be egotistical, but he is a talented

hitter because he incorporates visualization techniques when he plays

that are used by a lot of top athletes today. Stan also understands

it takes time to get what you want and requires a lot of practice.

Success simply does not happen overnight and “Mr. 3000” is a

better story for showing that process. And that is what makes sport

films so popular. Whether they are dramas or comedies, the good

sports stories show viewers how to be a better player, and playing

better makes you a better person.

And last, what makes this sports comedy a fair to good movie is

that “Mr. 3000” is not predictable. “Mr. 3000” is fun, funny and a

good return for the price of admission.

* PEGGY J. ROGERS, 40, produces commercial videos and

documentaries.